Graffiti House

By Rhonda Simmons

Published: August 22, 2008

Hidden under layers of paint and wallpaper for 135 years, the drawings and writings on the walls of an unassuming two-story house in Brandy Station tell the stories of Civil War soldiers long gone.

Built in 1858, the “Graffiti House” sits adjacent to the Orange and Alexandria railroad in Brandy Station, a perfect location for a hospital after the battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863.

Though the hospital was a Confederate one, both the Union and Confederate armies occupied the house at various times. In the winter of 1863, Federal troops resided at the home when the Army of the Potomac camped in Culpeper County.

Adorning the second floor walls of the house is graffiti in charcoal and pencil, with images of men and women, inscriptions of names and units.

In the years following the Civil War, nine families painted and plastered over the sketches, hiding the home’s history for 135 years. In 1992,
David Guinn discovered the graffiti after pulling paneling from the walls when the decaying house was set to be demolished.

In 1995, Construction Service, Inc. owner Greg Hebler bought and restored the house, then sold it to the Brandy Station Foundation in 2002. Today, the Graffiti House has been approved for recognition by the National Register of Historic Places and as a Virginia Historic Site. It is open year round and serves as a museum and visitors’ center for the Brandy Station Battlefield.